For Small Firms, Visas Are a Big Headache

"Most startups and small firms lack human-resources departments to handle the complex paperwork, and the funds to cover legal expenses associated with hiring someone under the program. Only about 30% of applications for H-1B visas make it past the preliminary stage of the process, the bulk of which are filed by startups and small employers, according to immigration data analyzed by the Brookings Institution, a Washington research group. "Doubling or tripling the cap does nothing to fix this," says Michael Koeris, the founder of Sample6, a three-year-old Boston firm that produces biotech food-testing kits. He says the firm, which has 20 employees, has given up on recruiting H-1B workers because the risks of an application being rejected are too high." - WSJ, Aug. 22, 2013.